Into the mind unborn – We know that fetuses can hear, taste and smell while still in the womb. But controversy is raging over the idea that they may also feel pain. David Concar reports

By David Concar

A century ago, one of the lesser known debates of modern science was quietly moving to a conclusion. The issue? Whether humans develop hearing in the womb or are born deaf and only develop it in the first few weeks of life. The “newborns are deaf” idea lost the day, and it is safe to say it will never be revived. In the past decade or so scientists have taken their studies of fetal hearing to dizzying new heights. Electric toothbrushes, door buzzers, the theme tunes of TV soaps-all have been used to elicit a fetal wriggle, racing heart or other such sign that the sound is getting through.

None of this is especially controversial. Nor indeed is research from the past few years suggesting fetuses develop rudimentary senses of taste or smell while still in the womb. The same cannot be said of a question that has surfaced in medical journals in recent weeks with all the impact of a shark’s fin&colon; can a human fetus feel pain?

Most doctors, scientists and medical textbooks would say that fetuses simply don’t have the necessary nerve connections or brain power for pain until very late in pregnancy, and perhaps not even then. But a small group of rebels believe it is high time for a rethink. These researchers say there is now evidence to suggest that younger fetuses may feel pain, and they are alarmed at what they see as a double standard in hospitals.

Breathtaking advances

Breathtaking advances in intensive care mean that these days premature babies can be kept alive outside the womb from as young …

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